Leonardo S.p.a.

Paolo Brughera

Carlo Cassinelli

Riccardo Bianco Mengotti

Pierre Abdel Nour

Luca Sampugnaro

Alessandro Scandroglio

Fabio Monti

Matteo Pizzagalli

Andrea Bernascone

Andrea Bavetta

Cristian Lilliu

Paolo Sportelli

A wing having a wing box () defining a first wing profile with a first leading edge, a first trailing edge, a first top surface and a first bottom surface; a first appendage hinged on the wing box and defining a second wing profile, in turn comprising an end wall and a second trailing edge, a second top surface and a second bottom surface; the first appendage is movable between: a first position, in which the first and the second wing profiles are contiguous with each other and a second position, in which the second bottom surface and second top surface are respectively separated from the first bottom surface and first top surface; the wing box comprises a first spar having a curved section in a plane orthogonal to the associated first axis; the end wall is curved and arranged abutting against the first spar at least along the second top surface and the second bottom surface when the first movable appendage is in the first position.

Aircraft wing

A convertiplane is described that comprises: a fuselage, having a first longitudinal axis and, in turn, comprising a nose and a tail portion; a pair of wings arranged on respective opposite sides of the fuselage, carrying respective rotors and generating a lift value; and a pair of engines operatively connected to respective rotors; each rotor comprising a mast rotatable about a second axis between a helicopter configuration and an aeroplane configuration; each rotor is interposed between the fuselage and the relative rotor along the direction of extension of the relative wing.

Convertiplane

A method is described for the folding of a convertiplane with a fuselage having a first axis, a pair of wings and a pair of rotors arranged on respective mutually opposite sides of the respective wings; each rotor comprises a mast rotatable about a second axis and a plurality of blades; each wing comprises a first portion fixed with respect to the fuselage; a second tip portion opposite to the first portion; and a third intermediate portion, which is interposed between the associated first portion and second tip portion; the mast of each rotor is integrally tiltable with the second axis and associated second tip portion about a third axis transversal to the second axis and the fuselage so as to set said convertiplane between a helicopter configuration and an aeroplane configuration; the method comprises the steps i) of arranging the convertiplane in the helicopter configuration and ii) rotating a pair of assemblies of respective wings with respect to the fuselage and the associated first portion about respective fifth axes, so as to arrange the convertiplane in a stowage configuration.

Convertiplane and associated folding method

A convertiplane is described that comprises a fuselage, having a first longitudinal axis, with a nose and a tail portion; a pair of wings arranged on respective opposite sides of said fuselage, carrying respective rotors; a pair of engines operatively connected to respective said rotors; at least one first lifting surface arranged on said tail portion; and a pair of canards arranged on said nose of said fuselage and defining respective second lifting surfaces adapted to generate a third lift/negative lift value; each rotor comprising a mast rotatable about a second axis and about an relative third axis transversal to said second axis and with respect to the fuselage, so as to set said convertiplane between a helicopter configuration and an aeroplane configuration; each second axis, in use, being transversal to the first axis of said convertiplane in said helicopter configuration and being parallel to said first axis in said aeroplane configuration.

A convertiplane is described that has a fuselage with a first axis, a pair of half-wings, and a pair of rotors arranged on mutually opposite ends of the half-wings. The rotor comprises a mast hinged on a second axis and a plurality of blades hinged on the mast. The mast of the rotor can be tilted with the second axis about a third axis transversal to the second axis and with respect to the fuselage to transform the convertiplane between a helicopter mode and an aeroplane mode; the second axis is transversal to the first axis in the helicopter mode and is parallel to the first axis in the aeroplane mode. The rotor disc can be tilted about a fourth axis. The rotor comprises control means for controlling the cyclic pitch and collective pitch of the blades comprising: a first actuator controllable to vary the collective pitch, a second actuator controllable to vary the tilt of the rotor disc about the fourth axis and a rod movable to alter the tilt of the corresponding rotor disc about a fifth axis according to the mode of the convertiplane.

Convertiplane and control method thereof

A display device for displaying the attitude of an aircraft with respect to a fixed direction in space is described, said device comprising: a first element that can be fastened to the aircraft; and a second element, which is free to move with respect to the first element, following a change in position of first element with respect to the fixed direction; the second element in turn comprising: a mass, which is designed to return the second element to the same stable position with respect to the fixed direction when the first element changes its position with respect to the fixed direction; and a visual indication, which is representative of the position of the fixed direction, as the position of the first element changes.

Growing community of inventors

Samarate, Italy

Paolo Brughera